Can the State be left in the dark again?

MadridIf it happened once, why not twice? Of all the questions that continue to be asked almost a year after the massive power outage, this is among the most frequent: can the State be plunged into darkness again?

The Spanish government is clear: "There is nothing to suggest that such an event could be repeated," they say from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition to ARA. This newspaper has asked the system operator, Red Eléctrica; the electrical employers' association Aelec, as well as various experts the same question. And although no one answers with a resounding yes or no, everyone agrees that, since then, steps have been taken with measures that dispel any minimal possibility.

"The risk of a similar incident recurring has been significantly reduced," says Marta Castro, director of Regulation at Aelec. "With everything that is being done, I don't think it can be repeated," points out the president of the Energy Commission of the College of Engineers of Catalonia, Lluís Pinós. Sources from Red Eléctrica also express themselves along the same lines, although they recall that it does not only depend on the system operator: "It goes far beyond Red Eléctrica. Hundreds of private agents (generators, distributors...) participate in the system and we are all obliged to comply with current regulations," they point out.

What has been done?

From the ministry led by Sara Aagesen, they reason that a year ago the electrical system already had tools and mechanisms to prevent a massive power outage: "They have been reinforced," they summarize. But precisely because of this, the professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and Fedea researcher in the energy area, Diego Rodríguez, does not hesitate to point out that the system was "weaker" than one might think: "The proof was the blackout and it is confirmed with the reinforcement".

Broadly speaking, the focus of this reinforcement has been placed on two of the causes of the incident: the rapid increase in voltage and the mechanisms so that, if this happens, it can be controlled and not suffer an electrical zero.

Initially, supervision and control over all agents have been increased: from the system operator to the companies. "All agents must be well coordinated, with mutual surveillance and supervision by the regulator [the National Commission of Markets and Competition]," they argue from the ministry.

Renewables (solar or wind energy) have also been enabled to play a role in the dynamic control of voltage, as is the case in many European countries. In this way, they join conventional technologies (combined cycles, nuclear or hydraulic) in this control and, therefore, the security of the electricity system is reinforced. Sources from Red Eléctrica explain that there are already 12.5 gigawatts (GW) providing this new voltage control service, of which 4.5 GW are "renewables, cogeneration, and waste".

This change basically implies that there are more facilities capable of providing reactive power – it creates the magnetic fields necessary for the system to function – when the electricity grid needs stability. This is important considering that the penetration of green energies in recent years has opened the door to more voltage variations because their production depends on weather conditions and, therefore, is more unstable.

At the same time, it has been observed that grid stability depends not only on cables, stations, or substations, but also on other components that, considering the new electricity mix, are "important". The Fedea researcher gives the example of compensators, synchronous condensers, and phase shifters. "They are equipment that improves the system's characteristics. But they are very expensive and did not have much presence. Now more must be installed," indicates Rodríguez.

But during these months, Red Eléctrica's "reinforcement mode" has also been activated, which broadly consists of more than twenty combined cycle plants (gas power plants) being kept running at idle. They do not generate electricity, but they are available to be activated at any time, especially if demand spikes and renewables cannot cover it, or if technical problems in the system are detected again. But what provides security to the system also has an extra cost that consumers pay, as well as an increase in natural gas consumption. For this reason, Aelec believes that "the challenge is to consolidate this security with structural solutions that are efficient and compatible with the energy transition," points out Castro.

Finally, the system operator is also working on a new regulation on coordination with the system's regulator, the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC).

The objective of all this, explain those in the ministry, is to "anticipate" the future needs of the electricity system, which will continue to change considering that not only is there a desire to move towards an electrification of the economy, but there are new industries (for example, data centers) that require a massive amount of electrical energy to function. This means more strain on the system and its infrastructure. But also anticipating the "unknown". From the ministry led by Aagesen, they embrace the recommendation of the European committee of experts to expand knowledge about the electricity system across the continent, especially regarding interconnections. "We must reduce the scope of what we do not know because it is impossible to combat what is ignored," they conclude from the ministry.